


dont want to let you down but im hell bound

by catsinouterspace



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-30
Updated: 2019-08-30
Packaged: 2020-09-30 10:00:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20445284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catsinouterspace/pseuds/catsinouterspace
Summary: Noct knows what’s going to happen. But what has already happened is worse. The place Noctis once called home is now unliveable, most unable to leave the safety of their homes without employing hunters, not a week going by without news of another death, kids who’d never seen the sunlight. The one thing that hasn’t changed is how seamlessly he works with Prompto, Ignis, and Gladio.





	dont want to let you down but im hell bound

**Author's Note:**

  * For [grey_sw (grey)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/grey/gifts).

> Hope you enjoy!!

Noct knows what’s going to happen. But what has already happened is worse. The place Noctis once called home is now unliveable, most unable to leave the safety of their homes without employing hunters, not a week going by without news of another death, kids who’d never seen the sunlight.  
  
Ten years it’d been since anyone had seen the sunlight. He chances a glance towards Ignis, his stomach twisting with guilt as he realises that even after Noctis pays the ultimate price, the man would not be able to see the first sun rise as the glows of the sun’s rays settle back over the world allowing the place to return to its former wonder.

Ignis does not seem too worried about this though. He marches forward with the same sense of confidence that he always had. He’d made a name for himself as a hunter too, keeping those who remained safe, Noctis supposed the man hadn’t changed all that much after all.

Gladio’s grown his hair long, tied it in a neat ponytail, wearing the Kingsglaive Garb, he looks every part the Shield he was meant to be. Noctis couldn’t help but recall the stories they’d read as kids; Kings and their Shields and the adventures they went on. Gladio looks like he may have just walked out of one of those stories, swearing his life and honour to the throne. Noctis swallows, he feels as though he’s at most a poor replica of the Kings in those stories. Gladio, similar to Ignis, had taken it upon himself to protect the world as best he could in the absence of the Chosen King; hunting the demons down, trying to keep them at bay in order to allow the small bits of civilisation that people had managed to stake out in the world remain safe.

Prompto’s grown a goatee of sorts, Noctis can’t help but think he looks ridiculous with it, although he realises he really isn’t in a place to talk when it comes to changes in facial hair; he scratches at his own chin subconsciously, he had thought about shaving it but it hadn’t felt right, marching to one’s own death clean shaven. The blond wasn’t raised into this life like the others, but that hadn’t stopped him from feeling just as lost without the King. Noctis had thought that maybe Prompto would go on and lead a normal life when he disappeared, well as normal as could be considering the current state of the world. Noctis knew that Ignis and Gladio wouldn’t because when you’ve spent your whole life with the one goal of keeping the King safe, putting his needs first, it’s hard to change gear. Prompto hadn’t been able to either though, and Noctis can’t help but feel the guilt settle in, feeling as though he stole a different life from Prompto, because the blond’s spent the last ten years hunting with the others, protecting.

They’re fighting skills have improved, which is lucky because the beasts that realm the citadel are no joke. Years of darkness have allowed the demons to thrive, their strength and numbers having increased beyond measure.

The one thing that hasn’t changed is how seamlessly they work together. Ten years may as well have been a day as Noctis instinctually moves to a warp point, throwing a spear into a beast to knock it off guard for Gladio to deal the fatal blow. 

“Nice one!” Gladio yells, as Prompto leaps on Noctis’ shoulders to get a better angle to fire his gun.

_He’s back. _

And Noctis feels like a truck has hit him because he _knows_ what’s coming and he hadn’t planned on letting himself enjoy this time. He went straight to his friends and then to the citadel, people were being killed by the monsters that now roamed everywhere, starving because growing crops was near impossible without the sun, he didn’t have _time_ to reminisce.

And it’s so much harder to be at peace with your death when you pause to think about how nice life can be.

Prompto slaps him on the back and Ignis lets out a “not bad,” as the demon disappears into a dark smoke. It feels as though nothing has changed and Noct closes his eyes and lets himself believe that he’s twenty again. But then there’s another beast and another and another and another, and they need to get to Ardyn, they need to stop him, because he’s_ not_ twenty anymore and he _knows_ what has to be done and he can’t skirt around his duty because every second he delays is another in which people are dying.

Noct _aches_. His whole body is exhausted and he wants nothing more than to just trudge up to his childhood room and fall asleep. In his head, it’ll be the same as ever, a pile of clothes on the floor no matter how recently Ignis had picked up after him, Assassins Creed poster above his bed which was adorned with far too many pillows. Soft and warm and safe. He’d curl up in it and wake up to the sun wafting into the room, Gladio banging on the door and telling him to get his arse up for training, or Ignis reminding him of the homework he’d put off last night with the promise he’d do it in the morning. Noctis wonders how many beasts they’d have to battle to even allow him a glimpse of that room again. Maybe it’s best that he has to leave it as it is in his memories.

The four of them are paused outside the throne room, they all know that they can’t go in there together, this is Noctis’ battle to fight. _The King of Light._ Once he enters he won’t come back. It will be his first and last time to grace the throne of Insomnia, a true king giving his life for his kingdom.

Noctis breaths in deeply, feeling the air move down his throat and into his lungs, exhaling in a gush, it’s a strange thing to know you could count the number of breaths you have left to take. Did breathing always feel this nice? Did he really just spend his entire life doing this without noticing?

Noctis shakes his head clear of these thoughts; no point delaying the inevitable. He turns to move up the stairs but Prompto halts his movement, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him back for a hug. Noctis melts into it. The whole world may have changed but Prompto being a fantastic hugger is a truth that's more eternal than _does the sun rise in the morning_?

Ignis hugs him too and then Gladio, folding Noct into his solid body, for a moment the King allows himself to bask in the safety that the larger man’s hugs offer. The four of them crowded together one last time.

“Hey, take one of these with you?” Prompto asks and in his hands, is a small pile of photos.

Noctis’ throat closes over, he wipes at his face not wanting to get tears on them.

They all look so young. The first photo is of them leaning against the Regalia that Cid had over charged them to fix, all grinning after a successful hunt that brought the price down. They’d been so excited. _Peace_. When was the last time Insomnia had known peace? A couple of _I Dos_ and the world would be a better place for millions.

Noctis wishes he could crawl inside the photo. He can practically feel the hope radiating from the image, the sun of the dessert warming his skin, causing him to sweat in his Royal Attire,_ then the loose the jacket_, Gladio would remark as if the jacket wasn’t what tied the _entire_ look together.

He selects a photo of them a bit later in their journey, they’d thought things had gone to shit at that point but it was still so far from what happened after; Luna, Ardyn, the shadow world taking over, even in light of Insomnia’s fall, who could have imagined that?

“I love you guys,” Noctis told his companions.

“You too, buddy.” Prompto replied.

“It’s been an honour being by your side, Noctis.” Gladio told him

“So, this is farewell.” Ignis stated.

“Yeah.” Noctis didn’t continue, knew that with every second he stalled his feet grew heavier, and right now it already felt as though he’d be walking up the stairs with lead boots. He turned to begin his journey.

“No turning back now.” Prompto whispered, watching his friend retreat.

Noctis paused, and then he turned back. “Prompto, Gladio, Ignis…I leave it to you.” Once he was done Insomnia wouldn’t automatically become the place they had once known, there would be so much work to do, but over the last decade these three had proved that they weren’t afraid of hard work, that they knew how to keep people safe, now he was giving them a chance to learn how to rebuild as well. He needed to say something else, but how could you condense a lifetime of love into a sentence, and imbue it with hope for a future you wouldn’t see at the same time? “Walk tall my friends.”

“Godspeed, and take care.” Noctis lip quirks up at this, only Ignis would tell him to take care as he heads towards his own death. “Majesty.”

The three bow to their King.

“The time has come.”


End file.
